Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-09-24
The Crisis Its Meaning and Our Duty

see, and its result will determine the
future veal or woe of the young man.
hood of our State. Shall the saloon
live to tempt and destroy your sons?
That is the simple question your bal
lot must answer. When we measure
this issue and its deep significance,
all matters relating to personal
liberty" and ''revenue," and "poli-
tics" sink into utter littleness. Are
you willing to have the sun Of your
sons destiny go down amid the dis
honorandgloom ola drunkards'grave
that the State may gather revenue?
Are your sons hopes SO yalueless-
his blood SO cheap-that you are will
ing to sacrifice him that the Golfers of
the State may be filled? Has the in
ordinate money greed of liquor men
more right to demand your favor
than has your son to expect the pro-
lection of your ballot? No sophistry
and cunning appeal can hide the true
inwardness ofthis crisis. 1t is this {:
Is the liquor traffic a moral good
will it help to make the life of your
son what you would have it be, a full
measure of honorable success? You
dare not estimate lightly your Sep
TENDER ballot. If wrongly cast, it
will reach forward beyond your grave
to chain your defendants to a drunk
en- fate. What Thought! My vote
holding within its simple self the
power to bless or curse the lives of I'M
born kindred, and fix the doom of
loved ones! This reflection is in it.
self enough to make this crisis the
most fearfully momentous era in the
life of every father in the land. So
pregnant Is it with vital interest that
eternity alone must reveal its deep
import. Go forward, fellow-fathers,
to the ballot box, and make your
vote voice your will as to the soul
destiny of your son. Take care lest
your ballot weave for your spirit a
Shroud.
MOtherS-All honor to the Spartan
motherhood of Tennessee. In Chris
tian America where woman was first
made a ministering priestess in a
temple reared by the valor of heroic
men, thy name has become the play
thing of false tongues, and thy worth
the sport of debauched hirelings. So
long as in silence and servility you
stood speeches. and saw loved ones
torn from your embrace and led down
into the drunken despair of manhood
to glut the money greed of liquor
lords, you were not the special sub
ject of malignant speech. But now,
as you come forward to plead for the
protection of loved ones and ask hus.
bands, and brothers, and sons to save
you further sorrow and suffering, q
legion of defamers arise, paid tC
scourge you back and bid you be
dumb amid the revelry of death that
the drink demon would crowd into
every home. But, thank God, the
angel of the century has led woman
up into a mountain of higher faith
and diviner service. Under the guild.
ing inspiration of the truth, wrapped
up in the common brotherhood o.
humanity, she acknowledges no serf
dom in conscience and godly work
but demands co-equal right with
man in the betterment of men. Goo
is leading her out of the wilderness
into a promised land where hen
Ghristly labors may supplement the
beneficent work of man.
And here in Tennessee, as through.
cut the republic, woman is today in
the forefront of the great temperance
awakening, and stands there by vir.
tue of a right founded in the sacred
depths of motherhood and wifehoOd
She is a co-worker in this mora.
movement, not for pay or applause
but to protect her offspring and keeI
Unbroken the vows of welded love
And now facing a legion of men in.
tent upon the plumber of her home
that they may coin her tears into
bIood-guilty gold, she h~eroically
bears traduction, and would suffer
martyrdom to defeat the despoiler.
Inspiriting sight! :. The whole wo
manhood of the State iii solid array
moving toward the ballot, not to de
post ballots, but to rouse men t.
duty as fathers, husbands, and sons
to save themselves and to save hel
and her offspring from the further
hurt of a traffic that has decimateC
generations and fattened itself into
giant proportions upon the wreckagt
Of the humanity that Christ died tC
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